How Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball helped rap go Super Saiyan

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The outsized audience for this week’s highly-watched women’s NCAA basketball match between Iowa and LSU may also have noticed that many of the commercials seen during the game belonged to AT&T, State Farm, Home Depot and Gatorade. There was good reason. Optimum Sports, a media agency that specializes in sports properties and is part of ad giant Omnicom Group, had quietly snatched up 35% of advertising time during the game, a record setter in terms of viewership for women’s sports and the latest example of how interest in female players and the leagues in which they play is booming.

Zoe Ball has spoken out in support of a controversial shake-up at Radio 2.The BBC have announced that former Take Me Out host Paddy McGuiness and singer and actor Michael Ball will be taking over the station's Sunday morning shows. Michael, 61, will take over Steve Wright's Love Songs, following the tragic passing of Steve earlier this year. While Top Gear presenter Paddy, 50, will be fronting a brand new show.

Peep Show fans are very happy about the discovery.Celebrating its 20th anniversary last year, Peep Show documented the increasingly tragic lives of bank manager Mark Corrigan (played by David Mitchell) and his layabout flatmate/ occasional musician Jeremy Usborne (played by Robert Webb). The show also featured the characters’ friends and partners, including the drug addict Super Hans (played by Matt King) and Olivia Colman as Sophie.Now, Zodiac Court in Croydon, which is Apollo House in the show – the place where Mark and Jez’s flat was located – is being redeveloped.In a digital image of the new development, fans have spotted what appears to be an Easter egg linking the show.One image features what appears to be a retail unit called ‘SuperHans’, in reference to the show’s beloved character.Check out the image here:A post shared by Dobby Club (@dobbyclub06)Last year, Peep Show co-writer Sam Bain revealed that they received offers to turn the hit Channel 4 sitcom into a play.Speaking to NME, Bain said that he and fellow co-writer Jesse Armstrong (Succession) had to reject the proposal because they couldn’t figure out how to make the show work on stage.The iconic comedy was shot through a POV perspective with the actors performing to camera, while the characters’ internal thoughts were added as narration.

Netflix has given the green light to The Beast In Me, a limited series headlined and executive produced by Claire Danes. In addition to Danes, the mystery thriller project, created, written and executive produced by Gabe Rotter, is executive produced by Jodie Foster, Conan O’Brien via Conaco and Homeland co-creator/executive producer Howard Gordon who will serve as showrunner, reuniting with the acclaimed series’ star/executive producer Danes. 20th Television is the studio.

The FA Cup win over Liverpool will have instilled belief back into this Manchester United side, who have 10 Premier League games left to play.

Listeners of Radio 2's Breakfast Show were surprised on Thursday morning when Tony Blackburn took over from host Zoe Ball. Fans were puzzled by her absence, especially since she had just returned to the show last week.

Bill Maher is expanding his Club Random podcast into a network, with plans to launch a new show with sports journalist Sage Steele.

The world’s first Dragon Ball theme park will be built in Saudi Arabia, in Qiddiya, an entertainment and tourism project outside the capital of Riyadh.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Just a few weeks after the death of its creator Akira Toriyama, the world’s first theme park dedicated to the “Dragon Ball” universe of comics, movies, and games is set to be built in Saudi Arabia. The “Dragon Ball” park, centred around the world of Son Goku – the young boy with supernatural martial arts powers on a journey to collect seven magical orbs that elicit a wish-granting dragon – will be built in Qiddiya, the entertainment and tourism project outside the Saudi capital of Riyadh, the Qiddiya Investment Company and Toei Animation announced on Friday.

EXCLUSIVE: Maggie Q is set to headline Prime Video‘s untitled Renée Ballard series, a Bosch spinoff about the LAPD’s Cold Case Division. This marks the first series in Amazon MGM Studios’ Bosch franchise that is not led by Titus Welliver. Amazon declined comment.

Coming off his recent Best Actor nomination for “American Fiction,” Jeffrey Wright has landed a high-profile part opposite Denzel Washington and Ilfenesh Hadera (“Billions“) in Spike Lee‘s (“Da 5 Bloods“) “High & Low,” according to a report from THR. The ransom thriller is a remake of the acclaimed Akira Kurosawa film from 1963.

GMB star Kate Garraway's late husband, Derek Draper, shared a devastating three-word message on how his life changed in a final documentary, due to air on 26 March. Titled Kate Garraway: Derek's Story, the documentary will air on ITV and ITVX, as a follow-up to Kate's previous documentaries, Finding Derek and Caring for Derek. Derek tragically passed away aged 56 nearly four years after he first fell seriously ill with Covid, leading to numerous health problems.

ITV's Lorraine has issued an update after viewers thought Love Island star Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu pulled out of an appearance on the breakfast programme for a tell-all interview

Zoe Ball has returned to her Radio 2 Breakfast Show after taking time off to care for her mum who was recently diagnosed with cancer.The presenter broke her silence on her absence, telling listeners: “It's me! I've missed you all, I've been looking after my dear ma but back to bother you though.” Zoe also gave a heartbreaking update on her mum Julia Peckham’s health, adding: “Sadly, heartbreakingly her cancer is quite advanced but we're making loads of lovely memories and taking care of her, she has some amazing people around her. “I have a newfound admiration for all carers.

Shakira is looking back at her relationship with Gerard Pique.

Variety Staff Follow Us on Twitter If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. March Madness kicks off this weekend with Selection Sunday, during which the 68-team bracket will finally be announced ahead of the highly anticipated NCAA tournament. The First Four games begin on Tuesday, March 19 in Dayton, Ohio , with games scheduled until the Final Four take place on Apr.

Akira Toriyama, the influential manga artist who created the Dragon Ball anime franchise, has died aged 68.

the official Dragon Ball website read.“We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come.”Born in Nagoya, Japan in 1955, Toriyama began his career with the creation of the manga series “Dr. Slump” in 1980.

Dragon Ball franchise – has died at the age of 68.According to a statement shared today (March 8) via the official Dragon Ball account on X (formerly Twitter), Toriyama died on March 1 due to acute subdural hemotoma. A funeral service has already been held for his family and “very few relatives”.The statement also notes that Toriyama’s family and the Bird Studio, which he founded, will not be accepting flowers, condolences gifts, visiting and offerings.

J. Kim Murphy Akira Toriyama, a Japanese manga artist who created the medium-defining franchise “Dragon Ball” in the 1980’s and shepherded its growth into a global phenomenon, died March 1 due to an acute subdural hematoma. He was 68.